The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1887-10-25
THE GREAT WEST.
EDITORS CORRESPONDENCE
THE TUSQUITTEE VALLEY
STOCK RANGING, &C.

week here, after the adjournment 0
Clay Superior Court and until the meet
ing Of the court at Murphy, in tie enjoy
ment of rural pleasures, my scatefa! 8;
/, change for the dust and noise ofthc city
and the monotonous, still beginning
never ending, tolls Of editorial duty.
have sent forward the record Of my
climb up the Tusquittce Bald, since
which time, somewhat worn with the
fatigue Of the trip, have confined myself
to quiet rambIea about the farm.
Mr.. T. B. Bristol is ' host lie is at
the head of CT arming, intelligent, and
most kind family who have made me
perfectly at home. The weather has
been perfect, bright. absolutely cloudless
and with somewhat sharp frosty morn
ings, the broad. smoothly mown meadow
spread ncCth Of the house, each morJ.;ng
| looking as if sheeted with snow.
Mr.. Bristol's father, now man OF rs,
but in vigorous health, came here from
Burke county in 1914, and purchased a
large body Of land including both valley
and mountain. The whole country had
only recently passed away from the
hands OF the Cherokee Indians. These
had lived along the valley, and here and
| there had cleared up small patches Of
ground, ludcly cultivated, hut from which
they eked out enough Of corn and beans
and pumpkins to supp! mrnt the game,
| then abundant, their chief reliance for
substance The valley otherwise was
covered with Z dense heavy growth Of
maple, oak and p1par. %" every avail
able inch Ofitis cleared and dItcHuI, and,
as rule, well cultivated, though I have
noted. in the best TGrt II it, Ie.y giariug
exceptions. The whole is about nirc
miles long, and from quarter 10 three
| quarters OF Z mile wide. It blends with
the valley Of the TIiwassee about a mile
| below &ir. Bri>tols farm.
This gentleman is 4 farmer with very
advanced ideas practices and equip
ments. lie uses the sulky plough to
great extent and advantage, and he cats
! his extensive meadows with q mover.
and gets out his wheat with a steam
thresher. The meadows now look as
smooth as a lawn, while. dotted on its
surface, are the enclosures which the
| hay stacks stand thick and huge OUt-
! side, the calves and mules are picking up
what was left; and that is plenty. IN
addition, the creek side is thickiy set
with grasses and cane, excellent grazing.
l cut yesterday cane fifteen feet long,
a capital fishing pole, and a most Tempt
| ing looking trout stTe9m close at han /,
only there were 70 fish il it.
! Mr.. Bristol las great stress On fCii
winter forage supply for his animals.
They have good shelter and abundant
| food to carry them through until Sprin ::
and then, when the buds begin to swell
and the grass to show itself, they are all
| taken out to the range to spend the sum
mer and shift for themselves.
This whole valley Is cne of the most
| beautiful AMI fertile in Western North
! rarnl:n~ NJ LH--r --.:leCn- Of tl,is =
needed than the fact that it is all occupi-
! cd, and that IL IS u.argin@d from begin
ming to end with coed farm houses and
thrifty surroundings. not the least attraC-
tive of wAich are sJ0d aai large orchards,
no doubt some Of these farms could be
purchased, if desired,
STOCK RANGING.
The first occupation, no doubt, that
suggested itself to the early settlers Of
Western North t@v"''Gg Was stock Tais-
ing. Game, it is true. was at first plenty.
and easily had for the killing. Deer and
wild turkey, aud bear and rantheTs. had
! the wilderness almost to themselves,
shared, not altogether amicably, with
! the Indians. But these last. with their
| bows and arrows seemed to have made
| little impression upon the numbers Of
the Wild animals: and their mnisclc.s
weapons carried no terror in {: eirso.nd
| But when the white man came with his
guns and dugs and his noisy whncp. ,he
| game became more alert, and hunting.
| for livelihood. became labCrious and
prrrsrioua. The same lrxnria.ce Of pa
! turai pa-trragr that sustained the t. =
iand ether wild animals -.:,.g.,, Il its
anulirarion to the, domestic a,!i..iais: and
cows and sheep were tnrrat ont - thrive
| ard !2tten and multiply while tn" grass
was growing; and during the rest Of the
year to shift for themselves, and come
through the winter rs best they could,
for no preparation was made III til" early
| days of settlement, and to a large extent.
at the present, for winter forage
The whole country at the time Of Its
early occupation, must have 0.teras! Won
deriul advantages to this system of stock
raising. 1t vas covered with iuEurant
gfassFe ir2Ia valley 70 mountain top, and
inIefnihgIe9 every Wner9 TaS the WlId
pea N!lle ana cane mere was also an
aDnNu"nce OF sGcculent Weeus, among
| when Is Wh&t IS cahed, par emph4S!',
the rlch Weed' as mhch Valt ei as other
herbaEc. 1t IS the prodHct OF the rich
| coyeS; DQI nave never seen it TO KNOW 1t:
Inc "baius' which occupy the tops OF
many OF the highest mountains, are pa
| tufal open pastures, covered with heavy
sod OF short but nutritious grasses. On
some are found stlnted, gnaf'ed thorn
twisted OAKS; ana some nave Patches OF